Grain-door for cars.



J'. HENRY.

v GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS. APP'LI ATIQN FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH IO-,WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. HENRY. GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

, 1,000,807. Patqnted Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

g 60 L E N $0M ILL awuwto z aw Q 511 JOHN HENRY, OF GRAND FORKS, NORTHDAKOTA.

GRAIN-DOOR FOR CARS.

oooeov.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed August 24, 1910. Serial No. 578,648.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY, citizen of the United States, residingat Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota,have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Doors for Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to grain doors for cars; and it consistsin the simple, practical and advantageous gra n door hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification:Figure 1 is an elevation taken from a point within a car and showing myimprovement in position to close the lower portion of the door opening.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by line 2-2of Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken in theplane indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing the upright bar ofthe fastening means and the portions of the doors adjacent thereto. Fig.4; is a detail vertical section taken in the plane indicated by the line1-4 of Fig. 1, looking toward the right. Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 1 but showing all of the parts positioned to afford a clear dooropening. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section, taken in the planeindicated by line 66 of Fig. 5, looking toward the right, and showingthe swinging bar by full lines in its lower position, and by dottedlines in its upper position. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of the upperend of the upright bar comprised in the fastening means. Fig. 8 is ahorizontal section taken in the same plane -as Fig. 2 and illustrating amodification hereinafter specifically referred to.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in Figs. 1 to7 The bar A. above the door opening B is provided in its inner side witha recess a,

and the upper portions of the door post-s C are rabbeted, as indicatedby 7).

Pivoted to the posts C at points 0 in the rabbets b are the arms d ofthe horizontal, vertically-swinging bar D comprised in the means forfastening-4. 0., supporting and preventing outward movement of thedoors, hereinafter described. On its forward side the bar D is providedwith a projection c, and to the rear side of said bar is looselyconnected a pendent handle f. Thus when the bar D is swung up into theposition shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to clear the door opening, theprojection 6 will be accommo dated in the recess a, while the handle fwill depend so that when desired the bar can be conveniently pulled downinto its Working position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

For the purpose of detachably securing the bar D in its upper and idleposition, I prefer to employ the latch E. This latch pivoted at g, andits inner and comparatively heavy arm is provided with a dependingportion h which rests between the inner side wall of the car and a strap2' attached thereto, and is adapted to retain the bar D against the barA. The outer arm of said lat-ch E is provided witha tail portion j,designed for the engagement of a hook-bearing rod or other deviceemployed to raise the inner arm of the latch with a view to releasingthe bar D precedent to pulling the same down through the medium of thebefore mentioned pendent handle f.

In addition to the bar D, the door fastening and supporting meanscomprises an upright bar F, upright strips G fixed to the inner sides ofthe door posts C and forming therewith rabbets 70, lower keepers Z andupper keepers m, carried by and projecting beyond the inner edges of thestrips G, and keepers 29 carried by the bar F and project-- ing beyondthe sides of the inner portion 1 thereof and located in a horizontalplane slightly above that of the keepers Z. The bar F comprises thementioned inner portion 1" and a comparatively wide outer portion 8against which the adjacent portions of the doors H are adapted to bearoutward, as

clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower end of the bar F is removablyseated in a recess in the door sill t and between said sill and a fixedstrip a, and, as best shown in Fig. 7, the inner portion 1" of the saidbar is extended above the outer portlon 8 thereof 7 D. Vhen the bar Dhen, however, it is large pieces of merchandise are to be movedtherethrough, the bar D is swung inwardly and upwardly, whereupon it.will be disengaged and separated from the bar F, and

i then said bar F may be lifted out of its socket between sill z, andstrip u, and stored away for future use.

To position the bar F and bar D for use, the manipulation described isreversedz'. e., the bar F is placed in the socket between sill t andstrip a, and then, while the bar F is inclined slightly inward, the barD is positioned between the notched end of the bar portion 1" and theflange to, after which the adjacent portions of the bars F and D areswung outward until they rest in a vertical position, whereupon the barD will be seated between the notched portion and the flange w, and withits projection e in the notch '0, in which position the bar D will servethe purpose heretofore ascribed to it.

The doors H are preferably, though not necessarily, flat steel plates,and while I show the said doors as connected through chains I with theside wall of the car body,

-I do not confine myself to the use of chains or any other connectingmeans, since without affecting my invention the doors H may be entirelyunconnected with the car body.

To put the doors H in the position in which the same are used, whichposition is shown by full lines in Fig. 1, it is simply necessary toplace the doors, while in a position above the keepers ;0, against therabbets 7c and the inner side of the outer portion 8 of the bar F. Thedoors are then slid down-- ward until they rest on the floor of the carbody, and then, as will be manifest, the doors will be confined betweenthe outer walls of the rabbets 7c and the inner side of the portion 8,on the one hand, and the keepers Z, m and p, on the other hand. Whenthus placed the doors will bear outward against the outer walls of therabbets 7c, the portion 8 of bar F, and the bar D, and consequentlyoutward movement of any portion of either door is efiectually prevented.It will also be manifest that the doors are securely fastened inposition and are braced or reinforced and supported by the door posts,the bar F and the bar D.

When it is desired to discharge grain or other substance carried in bulkfrom the car body through the portion of the door opening controlled byeither door, it is simply necessary to raise either door to a pointabove the keepers 72, and then swing or otherwise move the said door tothe position shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 8, I illustrate a modified construetion in which a sheet-metalupright bar F of channel-form in horizontal section, is employed in lieuof the upright bar F, heretofore referred to, and the bar D (which maybe made of metal, wood or other suitable material) is adapted to afforda bearing for flanges s on said bar F while the said flanges aredesigned, in turn, to afford bearings for the doors H whlch are confinedthereagainst by keepers p on the lower portion of the bar F in themanner before described. lVith the exceptions noted, the modifiedconstruction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7; it being noted,however, that in said modified construction it is departing from themodifications may latch E so that said latch can be conveniently moved;the tail-portion j being preferably apertured for said purpose as shownin Fig. 6.

In both of the disclosed embodiments of my invention, the swinging baris preferably a steel pipe of rectangular form in crosssection, this inorder to secure both strength and lightness.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. In a grain door for cars, the combination of a car body having a dooropening and door posts equipped with rabbets, and also having a socketlocated intermediate the posts; an upright bar movable vertically intoand out of the socket and having a comparatively wide outer portion, anupwardly extending and notched inner portion and an upwardly extendingouter portion spaced from said inner portion; a vertically swinging barheld against outward movement by the posts and constructed to seatbetween said upwardly extending portions of the upright bar and having aprojection to seat in the notch of the inner portion and also hav ingarms pivoted to the posts, vertically movable doors that bear outwardagainst the posts, the outer wide portion of the upright bar and thevertically swinging bar and are arranged in the rabbets of the posts,and keepers in the posts and other keepers on the upright bar andarranged in a different horizontal plane from those on the posts, forholding the doors against'the posts and the wide portion of the uprightbar.

2. Ina grain door-for tion of a car body having a door opening and doorposts and also having means intermediate the posts for holding one endof an upright bar; the said upright bar movable vertically into and outof engagement with said means; a vertically swinging bar held againstoutward movement by the posts and having arms pivoted to the posts; saiduprightbar and vertically swinging bar being constructed to interlockand enable the latter to hold the former; vertically movable doors thatbear outward against the posts, the upright bar and the verticallyswinging bar; and keepers on the posts and other keepers on the uprightbar and arranged in a different horizontal plane from those on theposts, for holding the doors against the posts and the upright bar.

3. In a grain door for cars, the combina tion of a car body having adoor opening and door posts and also having means intermediate the postsfor holding one end of an upright bar; the said upright bar movablevertically into and out of engagement with said means; a crosswise barheld against outward movement by the posts; said upright bar andcrosswise bar being construct-' ed to interlock and enable the latter tohold the former; vertically movable doors that bear outward against theposts, the upright bar and the crosswise bar; and keepers on the postsand other keepers on the upright bar and arranged in a differenthorizontal plane from those on the posts, for holding the doors againstthe posts and the upright bar.

4. In a grain door for cars, the combination of a car body having a dooropening and door posts; vertically movable doors that bear outwardagainst the posts; means intermediate the posts and against which theadjacent portions of the doors bear outward; and keepers on the postsand other keepers on the said intermediate means and arranged in adifferent horizontal plane from those on the posts, for holding thedoors against the posts and the intermediate means; said keepers beingspaced from the posts and the intermediate means, respectively, and thedoors being interposed between the keepers and the posts andintermediate means.

5. In a grain door for cars, the combination of a car body having a dooropening and door posts and also having means intermediate the posts forholding one end of an upright bar; and means for preventing outwardmovement of a door, comprising the said upright bar movable verticallyinto and out of engagement with said means, and a vertically swingingbar held against outward movement by the posts and having arms pivotedto the posts; said upright bar and vertically swinging bar beingconstructed to interlock and enable the latter to hold the former.

6. In a grain door for cars, the combination of a car body having a dooropening and door posts and also having means intermediate the posts forholding one end of an upright bar; and means for preventing outwardmovement of a door, comprising the said upright bar movable verticallyinto and out of engagement with said means, and a crosswise bar heldagainst outward movement by the posts; said upright bar and crosswisebar being constructed to interlock and enable the latter to hold theformer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN HENRY. lVitnesses Mrs. W. H. BASELLY, JNo. G. HEwITsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

